Conventional electronic drum sets typically consist of drum and/or cymbal shaped devices, which may incorporate one or more switches to identify when the device has been struck. In particular, conventional electronic cymbals are typically made of rubber and include mechanical switches at different locations on or nearby the cymbal. The switches may be located at various positions so that when the cymbal is struck, the movement of the cymbal causes one or more of the switches to be engaged.
Electronic cymbals are typically used in conjunction with an electronic tone generator, commonly referred to as a “drum module” or “drum brain,” to which the electronic cymbals are connected. These drum modules are passed trigger signals generated by the electronic cymbals, which enable the drum modules to play sounds corresponding to an action that caused the trigger event. A switch engaged by a strike of the cymbal may, in conjunction with an impact sensor, generate a trigger signal corresponding to that switch, and may thereby cause a corresponding sound to be played by a connected drum module.